Propeller Design, Analysis, and Testing for the Mars Electric Reusable Flyer II
Abstract/Description/Artist Statement
NASA’s 2021 Ingenuity helicopter demonstrated successful flight on Mars and paved the way for larger flight vehicles with greater range and endurance carrying scientific payloads. NASA Langley is exploring a “tail-sitter” concept, called the Mars Electric Reusable Flyer II (MERF-II). Our project aims to optimize propeller geometry for this vehicle to create required lift and thrust in an extremely thin atmosphere, such that the surface of Mars can be efficiently scouted by a small fleet. Although previous research has optimized propeller geometry for certain flight cases, a tail-sitter includes two critical design points – hover and cruise. Our goal is to optimize a propeller for both design points that can operate in the Martian environment.
At ODU, we have developed a wind tunnel test capability for testing Mars propellers at dynamically scaled conditions by operating at very low RPM and forward speed. We are 3D printing blades, giving us the ability to test multiple designs in the same wind tunnel and the capability to easily modify the specified designs. This enables rapid development and prototyping, as well as allowing for easy comparison of different propeller designs. Our initial efforts were devoted to validating our test method, which was accomplished through comparison to three known propeller designs. New “MERF-II” designs are now being developed and tested. Our next steps involve using instrumentation to visualize the fluid flow such that we can see where the propeller design needs to be adjusted.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Colin Britcher
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Email
cbritche@odu.edu
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering
College/School Affiliation
Batten College of Engineering & Technology
Student Level Group
Undergraduate
Presentation Type
Poster
Propeller Design, Analysis, and Testing for the Mars Electric Reusable Flyer II
NASA’s 2021 Ingenuity helicopter demonstrated successful flight on Mars and paved the way for larger flight vehicles with greater range and endurance carrying scientific payloads. NASA Langley is exploring a “tail-sitter” concept, called the Mars Electric Reusable Flyer II (MERF-II). Our project aims to optimize propeller geometry for this vehicle to create required lift and thrust in an extremely thin atmosphere, such that the surface of Mars can be efficiently scouted by a small fleet. Although previous research has optimized propeller geometry for certain flight cases, a tail-sitter includes two critical design points – hover and cruise. Our goal is to optimize a propeller for both design points that can operate in the Martian environment.
At ODU, we have developed a wind tunnel test capability for testing Mars propellers at dynamically scaled conditions by operating at very low RPM and forward speed. We are 3D printing blades, giving us the ability to test multiple designs in the same wind tunnel and the capability to easily modify the specified designs. This enables rapid development and prototyping, as well as allowing for easy comparison of different propeller designs. Our initial efforts were devoted to validating our test method, which was accomplished through comparison to three known propeller designs. New “MERF-II” designs are now being developed and tested. Our next steps involve using instrumentation to visualize the fluid flow such that we can see where the propeller design needs to be adjusted.